It is safe to say Michal Kwiatkowski is the expert when it comes to winning the Strade Bianche. The Pole – still only 27 years of age – is the only rider in the peloton to win the race twice. Other names still racing who took the honours in Tuscany are Aleksandr Kolobnev (2007, inaugural edition), Philippe Gilbert (2011), Moreno Moser (2013) and Zdenek Stybar (2015). Kwiatkowski did win the race in 2014 and 2017. With the exception of Kolobnev and the retired Cancellara, who won three times, all former winners line up at the start in Siena.
The field is impressive anyway. Alejandro Valverde is one of many major contenders. He finished on the podium of Strade Bianche twice, in 2014 and 2015, and is – once again – in great shape this early in the season. He won the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the Abu Dhabi Tour. Title defender Kwiatkowski is also in a winning mood, as he pocketed the GC at the Volta ao Algarve two weeks ago. A setback for Valverde was having stomach problems last week.
The Strade Bianche is famous for its dirt roads, often on sharp climbs. In 2018, the riders face eleven ‘sterrati’, which amounts to 63 kilometres on unpaved roads. The race totals 184 kilometers and the finale in Siena is a steep cobbled climb with ramps up to 16%.
The race is a war of attrition and it is wearing any rider out. Last year Michal Kwiatkowski, Greg Van Avermaet, Tim Wellens, Zdenek Stybar, Tom Dumoulin, Luke Durbridge and Christopher Juul-Jensen were the last remaining riders after the last gravel sector. Kwiatkowski attacked with 16 kilometres to go and initially no one responded. Then Van Avermaet, Wellens and Stybar tried to chase the former world Champion down, but to no avail.
Favourites 2018 Strade Bianche
***** Michal Kwiatkowski, Peter Sagan, Zdenek Stybar
**** Greg Van Avermaet, Gianni Moscon, Alejandro Valverde
*** Tom Dumoulin, Sep Vanmarcke, Philippe Gilbert
** Jasper Stuyven, Moreno Moser, Tiesj Benoot, Wout van Aert
* Vincenzo Nibali, Primoz Roglic, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Luke Durbridge
Strade Bianche 2018: Route maps, height profiles, and more
Click on the images to zoom
Strade Bianche Results
Strade Bianche Riders
Related articles Overview - Strade Bianche 20 More articles Vuelta 2019 Stage 1: Starting times TTT in Torrevieja
Enter Vuelta pool with 17,500 euros in prize money
Vuelta 2019: The Route
Vuelta 2019: Riders
Vuelta 2019: Favourites
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 1: Las Salinas de Torrevieja - Torrevieja
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 1: TTT with red lining
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 2: Benidorm - Calpe
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 2: Versatile ride to Calpe
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 3: Ibi – Alicante
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 3: Sprinters or daredevil attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 4: Cullera – El Puig
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 4: For pure sprinters
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 5: L’Eliana – Javalambre
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 5: Mountain goat on steep last climb
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 6: Mora de Rubielos - Ares del Maestrat
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 6: Breakaway Day
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 7: Onda – Mas de la Costa
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 7: GC battle on finishing Wall
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 8: Valls – Igualada
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 8: Sprinters or (late) attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 9: Andorra la Vella – Cortals d’Encamp
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 9: Short thriller in the Pyrenees
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 10: Jurançon - Pau (ITT)
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 10: Roglic for glory
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 11: Saint Palais - Urdax
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 11: Sprint of brave attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 12: Circuito de Navarra - Bilbao
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 12: Punchers with strong descent
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 13: Bilbao - Los Machucos
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 13: Monster race with brutal finale
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 14: San Vicente de la Barquera - Oviedo
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 14: Back to the fast men
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 15: Tineo - Santuario del Acebo
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 15: Steep and irregular ascents
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 16: Pravia - Alto de la Cubilla
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 16: Finish for diesel-powered climbers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 17: Aranda de Duero - Guadalajara
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 17: Fast men in longest race
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 18: Colmenar Viejo – Becerril de la Sierra
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 18: Attackers in the middle mountains
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 19: Ávila - Toledo
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 19: Cunning sprinter in technical finale
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 20: Arenas de San Pedro - Plataforma de Gredos
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 20: Attacks on all fronts
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 21: Fuenlabrada - Madrid
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 21: Madrilenean sprint fiesta
Vuelta a España: Winners and records
Tour of Britain 2019: The Route
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 1: Glasgow - Kirkcudbright
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 2: Kelso - Kelso
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 3: Berwick-upon-Tweed - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 4: Gateshead - Kendal
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 5: Birkenhead - Birkenhead
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 6: Pershore ITT
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 7: Warwick - Burton Dassett
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 8: Altrincham - Manchester
Tour of Britain: Winners and records
World Cycling Championships 2019 Yorkshire: Route ITT - men
World Cycling Championships 2019 Yorkshire: Route road race - women
World Cycling Championships: Winners and records
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec: Winners and records
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal: Winners and records
History of the Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Lombardy: Winners and records
Tour Down Under 2014 Route stage 1: Nuriootpa - Angaston
